The invention relates to a support for a current collector strip and more particularly a collector strip for a rolling stock vehicle.
The invention is equally suitable for a current collector strip of a pantograph rubbing on a catenary or that of a shoe rubbing on a rail.
At the present time, in order for a rolling stock vehicle to be supplied by an external current source, one of the techniques is to use a third rail, generally used in railway transport vehicles, such as subway vehicles, district trains, etc.
This third rail allows the current to be transmitted to the rolling stock vehicle by means of sliding shoes that collect the current and transfer it to the vehicle.
These shoes are made up in particular of a support, also called a yoke, onto which a collector strip, generally a carbon collector strip, is crimped.
To hold the collector strip in place on the yoke, the carbon strip is machined so as to provide a dovetail assembly with the edges of the yoke.
The support comprises a device for fastening to the rolling stock vehicle, generally a set of bolts.
The shoe thus assembled is then dipped into a bath of molten tin to braze the carbon strip to the yoke so as to ensure that there is good conductivity between the collector strip and the support.
It is the shoe thus assembled which is mounted on the rolling stock vehicle.
The carbon collector strip, sliding on the third rail in order to collect the current, is continuously worn away and requires to be changed regularly. Since the collector strip is irremovably fastened to the yoke, it is necessary to change the entire shoe, yoke and collector strip assembly, especially by dismantling all the bolts connecting it to the vehicle.
Since the collector strip is inseparable from the support, it is necessary to strip down the assembly, which represents a relatively high cost.
The operation of fitting/dismantling the shoe on the rolling stock vehicle is relatively lengthy since it requires the bolts joining the shoe to the vehicle to be fastened/unfastened.
The known devices may therefore be relatively expensive, lead to a “loss” of material, especially if the support is changed with each new collector strip, may require a long time for changes or maintenance, and many dismantling steps, and/or may not be sufficiently resistant, especially corrosion-resistant.